Trauma, Social Work, and Psychodrama

Abstract

The history and principles of trauma-informed practice in social work are presented while differentiating trauma-informed and trauma-focused practices. The practice of trauma-focused group therapy and trauma-focused psychodrama is outlined while acknowledging the recent calls for increased trauma content in graduate curriculums. Safety, play, and spontaneity are elevated as core elements in psychodrama’s effectiveness in working with trauma survivors. Psychodrama’s unique capacity for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is presented while outlining two trauma-focused psychodrama models—the Therapeutic Spiral Model and the Relational Trauma Repair Model.